Here's something to get you wondering: a high-performance, low-slung, two-seater ute, powered by a 350 bhp V-8. Use it for work, or for your outdoor hobby, or just drive a sporty car. This ute shares the same mechanicals as the Holden Commodore/Pontiac G8 GT, and the front end is almost identical to the Commodores SSV.
Of course, the rear suspension is uprated to carry loads of up to 1,120 lb (508 kg), which is about a third less than in the more workaday VE utes. To allow for this, the front anti-roll bar is thicker at the front and thinner at the rear.
A sports car in disguise
Interestingly, most customers opt for performance over load-carrying, showing that the SSV is really a sports car in disguise.
There is no mistaking the ute in its bright lime green, but you can have it most colors, including sober black. It looks pretty good, as the cab slopes back a little, rather than going straight down as on most workaday utes.
Jump inside, and so long as you keep looking forward you could be in the sedan – same interior, with pretty good instruments and controls, although the trip computer is less easy to use than most.
Also, the currently fashionable white on grey instruments are not easy to read in bright light. When you turn the sidelights on, they go to orange which is much better.
Look behind and you get much better visibility through the close, vertical window, so despite what looks like a long tail, you're better off in this respect than in a sedan. Also, the back end is square, so reversing is very easy, unlike in many modern sedans.
It is GM's Gen 4, 6.0 liter pushrod engine that steals the show once you get going. Stacks of grunt, especially from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm, and a nice note with it. No, this is not a noisy truck, by the way; even the sound deadening up front is the same as on Commodores so you cruise at speed as quietly as in a sedan.
GM's lusty V-8 steals the show
Acceleration is really quick – virtually the same as on the sedan as the ute weighs the same amount – 3,975 lb (1,805 kg). You get up to speed very quickly, even with the automatic.
Six-speed auto, good in auto
My SSV ute came with GM's six-speed automatic, with a manual gate off to the side. Push forward for down, and back for up. This works quite well, but seems to lack the control of some other six-speed boxes, even though you can shift down into second at up to about 70 mph. Needless to say, second is the gear for all-out acceleration, as it covers the everyday speed range well. Generally, though, third gives plenty of performance on twisty roads, and good engine braking.
It is not just the power train that shines, though. The ute steers very well round twisty roads, turning in promptly and smoothly. It also tracks well through long curves.
Surprisingly supple ride, quiet cruiser
So much was expected. But what I did not expect was the supple ride, which ate up the bumps on country roads well – this is one of the advantages of the double wishbone rear suspension, which is a big advance over a beam axle.
The SSV ute is a comfortable cruiser, covering the ground quietly and fast, although if you want to take some luggages there is not much room inside. Of course, you have this massive carrying space behind, which normally has a rather fiddly cover. A rigid lockable top, which is available, is recommended.
Good handling and steering
Most of the time, the car corners on rails, but at lower speeds, hard acceleration brings the traction control into play, and quite often the stability control as well – it seems to be set to come in very early.
I was able to test the handling on an area off the road on an unseasonally wet day. With the stability control turned off, I cold easily induce a power slide. The ute could be held on line fairly easily, but was keen to go sideways.
Also, if you accelerate steadily through a tight corner, the front end drifts out sharply, but you can easily bring it back again. Overall, a fun car to drive.
In everyday driving, all current Commodores have one fault that literally gets in the way - the very thick curved A-post which obscures vision quite badly in some situations. Otherwise, these Aussies are pretty good.
